Massachusetts' bishops address Catholics about sex abuse summit

Massachusetts bishops are addressing the state’s Catholics prior to the Feb. 21-24 Vatican Summit on the sexual abuse crisis. It is a crisis, they say, “that has again enveloped the life of the Church.” 

“The Summit Meeting, convoked by Pope Francis, will involve the presidents of over 180 Episcopal Conferences from throughout the world; along with (Boston) Cardinal (Sean) O’Malley, participating in his role as President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Children. The goal of the Summit Meeting, as stated by the Holy Father, is ‘catechesis’ of the episcopal conferences,” the bishops said in a letter to the people of the Commonwealth, published below. 

The bishops apologize to survivors and families of those affected by sexual abuse; they review the history of the crisis here and pledge “continued commitment to the policies … adopted and to all those measures of care, counseling, education and healing needed to abolish the scourge of sexual abuse throughout the Church.” 

The letter is signed by Cardinal O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston; Worcester’s Bishop McManus; Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of Springfield and Bishop da Cunha of Fall River, and was distributed by the Massachusetts Catholic Conference. 

Click here to read the letter.